He chatted about all manner of inane things during the short ride.
This time when we arrived at my mailbox, he pulled into the driveway. He even got out and came around to help me out. Wow! And then he walked me to the door. My mind was totally immersed in every detail of the experience. I was living the dream.
Stephen left me at the door with promises to see me tomorrow and a smile that said I’d have my first kiss before the weekend was over. I refused to dwell on why that kiss, coming from Stephen at least, no longer held the appeal it had a week ago.
I was still fully engaged in my fantasy when I heard the screen door creak its way open. Stephen had managed to transport me out of all my troubles for almost an entire day, but, if my father’s thunderous expression was any indication, he’d just delivered me right into the eye of a storm.
Several emotions swept through me when I saw his face—dread, exasperation, resentment and, finally, anger. Heat spread across my cheeks and down my neck and arms. Electricity twitched in my fingertips, flickering like tiny sparks. The skin on my right shoulder blade burned like someone was holding a hot branding iron to it.
“That better not have been the boy that nearly killed you last week,” he boomed as I stalked past him into the living room. “Carson,” he squeezed between gritted teeth, his hand snaking out to grab my arm as I passed.
Fury shot through me like lightening, turning the heat of anger into a white-hot rage. I whirled around and met my father’s glittering eyes. I felt his fingers squeeze my arm as he shook it lightly. “Answer me!”
With a violent jerk, I pulled my arm from his grasp and was about to give him tit for tat when my impending explosion was interrupted by a whoosh from the kitchen. Dropping my arm, Dad ran past me. He hollered back urgently, “Carson, get the fire extinguisher!”
CHAPTER SIX
Immediately devoid of anger, I sprang into action, running to the pantry and grabbing the red canister that hung on the inside of the door. Turning with the extinguisher in hand, I was momentarily stunned by the sight of the blazing pan that sat atop the stove, the flames reaching up to lick at the curtains that hung over the window to the right.
“Carson!”
Having blanked on how to use the extinguisher, I darted across the room and handed it to Dad. I watched in stunned silence as he pulled the pin from the top of the canister, took the hose in hand, squeezed the trigger and blew white dust all over the stove and curtains.
Within seconds the flames were extinguished, leaving only a smoldering pan and singed curtains amid the smoke. Dad stepped back to stand by me; we were both breathing heavily. He wiped the back of his hand across his forehead and let out a relieved “whew”.
“I didn’t think I had turned that eye on yet,” he said, clearly puzzled.
I said nothing, but a mounting concern was blossoming in my gut. The phone rang, startling us both. I looked at the phone where it lay on the bar, covered by a thin layer of dry chemical.
“I’ll get it in my room,” I said. Dad just nodded his head in understanding.
Less than two minutes later, I walked back into the kitchen to get a glass of water. Dad was standing exactly where I’d left him, staring blankly at the stove. I stood beside him pulling huge gulps of soothing liquid into my mouth. I wondered what he was thinking, but I was too afraid to ask. Finally, I broke the silence.
“That was Leah. They want to eat while we’re out.”
Dad nodded again. “Guess that works out well since dinner’s…uh…”
It was my turn to nod. “Want me to bring you something back?”
“Nah. I’ll make a sandwich or something.”
“Are you sure?”
“Yep.”
We stood side by side, staring silently into the kitchen, until he Dad looked over at me. “I guess you’d better change clothes,” he said, tipping his head toward my shirt. I hadn’t noticed that the creamy material was covered in soot. I don’t know how I’d gotten so dirty, but I looked like I’d been rolling in charcoal. I was filthy. And I probably smelled like a bonfire.
“Good idea,” I said before turning away.
I knew I didn’t have time to wash my hair before Leah got there, so I stripped off my